Hartington Lodge Banners

It would appear that during the first few years the lodge had been meeting without a banner. The first mention of a banner appears in the Lodge minutes of 2nd April 1873 when ‘Bro. Moore WM proposed and Bro. Hills seconded that a banner be supplied to the Lodge on the terms named in Bro. French’s letter’. Unfortunately the terms of Bro. French’s letter are unknown.

There are no records in the minutes of that year of when the banner was presented or displayed for the first time, however later that year on 5th November 1873 the Lodge was consecrated by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master Bro. H. C. Okeover. It could be presumed therefore that perhaps the  first banner was displayed for the first time at the Consecration meeting as the financial accounts for the year end shows an expenditure item of ‘Banner and box £7.15s .6d’.

This first banner served the lodge for 57 years and was replaced by a second banner in 1930, when the Lodge minutes of 1st October 1930 record ‘The Wor. Master Bro. O. M. Bennett having presented a new banner to the Lodge, Wor. Bro C. R. Dobson P. P. G. Reg. proposed that the thanks of the Lodge be extended to Wor. Bro. O. M. Bennett for his beautiful and valuable gift to the Lodge. This was seconded by Wor. Bro. E. E. Raby and carried unanimously.’

The meeting of 6th November 1935 records ‘The Wor. Master reported the death of Wor. Bro. Oliver Moore Bennett’ and at the meeting of 6th January 1937 a minute records ‘The Secretary reported receipt of a cheque value £600 in payment of the bequest by the late Wor. Bro. O. M. Bennett’. To this day the interest from the Oliver Bennet Trust is for charitable purposes and it is at the discretion of the Wor. Master to determine which deserving cause.

£600 was a significant sum in those days; for example, estate agents Innes and Sons of Becket Street, Derby advertised a house for sale on the 9th January 1937 ‘£495- Mickleover, well built modern residence, two reception, three bedrooms, open healthy situation.’ At today’s (2003) prices this figure could well be £150,000 plus.

Why a new Lodge Banner

Bro. Terry Boston had for several years been acting as the Banner bearer at the annual meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge and had noticed how ‘tired’ our banner was looking when ranged alongside other Lodge banners on what is a very colourful and impressive spectacle. After some discussion with Bro. Colin Robinson they very generously offered to donate a new Banner to the Lodge made by their wives Ingrid Boston and Eileen Robinson.